Charles Gemora spent most of his time on film frolicking about in a fur coat but on a few occasions he used his modest size and effects wizardry to create creatures very different from the gorilla suits that became increasingly realistic as his talents matured. Perhaps his most widely known cinematic contribution would be his creation of the Martian from George Pal's THE WAR OF THE WORLDS. Charlie not only built the truly 'alien' suit but also crammed himself into it and executed a memorable performance with the assistance of his young daughter, Diana. Diana Fox Jones recollected the tale of the WOTW filming to film writer Tom Weaver, sharing her memory of the frantic last minute alterations that led to Charlie pulling a challenging all nighter at the Paramount studio. The barely finished monster from the Red Planet damn near fell to pieces as cameras rolled. You can read more about Charles Gemora and the filming of the classic farmhouse scene on the Google Books app below:
Who's the guy with the Martian suit? It's not Gemora.
ReplyDelete